New-York tribune., 1887-11-22
BARNUM'S FIVE FIRES.
SMALL INSURANCE, BUT GREAT NERVE

SMALL INSURANCE. BUT GREAT NERVE.
THREE MCsEUMs. A PALACE AND WINTER QUAR-
TERs"-TnK SNOWMAN STILL IN THx FIELD.
Mr. Barnum was Informed Of his loss by a telegram
from Bridgeport which sent to his At the Muir
ray Hill Hotel at o'clock yesterday morning. He was
sound asleep. and awakened by Mrs Barnum. who
had received tho telegram door and informed him
of its contents which, with characteristic csolness
he turned over saying Blessings sfsn come In the
shape Of the greatest disasters and slept tl mOrnins
This IL the fifth great fire In which Mr.. Barnnm has
been Interested and while 1t has been disappointment
to him to have been on hand to see
one OF his confaxrations, he has had the op-
portunity in each to display his nerve hue
residence he had built at Brdgspor-a Moorish structure
with and minarets and Oriental Details. called
"Irauistan,"-was burned TO the ground In 1857 and
never rebuilt When the American Museum. at Broad
way and Ann-st which had been the Mecca for good
boys and girls for generation was burned on July l3
1865, Mr.. Barnum in attendance atthc session OF
the Connecticut Legislature at Hartford. telegram
announcing the fire handed him while he was In the
middle Of speech He laid 1t the desk beside
him. finished hspeech aud his point without giving
any indication Of a alton As the tire was then raging,
this vss regarded as an unusual exhibition OF selfcon-
troll.
So, also, when the New American Museum"
which was the successor OF inc OLD
and stood at Nos. 535-539 Broadway,
was burned On the night OF March q 1863 Mr. Barnums
first intimatou OF it was derived from the morning
papers Of the next day at his breakfast table
"Hells! he said to his wife, "Barnun's Museum is
burned"
"Yes" she replied, 81 know it was-two years ago
but Barnum built another
Mr. Barnum's mood enabled him to keep up the joke
until the papers passed around and the fact
established.
Again he was burned out in 1872 having established
in Fourteenthst. a museum nenageiie, bippodrone
and circus which called "Iiippotheatron." Tho
found him in NewOrleans this time. again at
breakfast reading account In the local papers of the
flooding Of his New Orleans show grounds He read the
dispatch: Everything destroyed except two elephants.
one camel called for writing materials cabled all over
the world and wound up with telegram to his sonn-
law and manager, H. Hurd: Tell editors have cabled
European agents to expend half million dsars for extra
attractions VIII havr new and attractive show
than early In April"
THE FIRST "BARSUMs MUSEUM"
The burning Of the old American Museum" Oh July
49, 1s65 occurred in the day time. breaking out at half
past H. when the crowded, the cause being
the bursting of boiler in the engine the Ann
side. All the visitors escaped in safety Though not
without panic. during which nearly every man In the
crowd lost his hat loss that quickly replaced how
ever. by raid the salvage stock of neghboring
halter. which was being conveyed down Futon-st
Mr.. Barnum has always fectaed himself on the fact
that though he entertains hundreds OF thousands
Of people and Ia often burned out, the
fires have never resulted in less of human life
One man thrown fiat his back in front Of the
panicstricken crowd escaping from the burning mu-
scum but he effectively kept space around him clear
by vigorously kicking swimming stroke, and TO
escape with the rest
Barnums loss in this fire be always regarded as the
serious he had met involving as IL did num-
Der Of curiosities and Revolutionary relics which no
money could restore. His pecuniary loss Was 100000
and his insurance was 100000 which. as his premium
was 5 per cent, much less than he had paid tie
companies.
BARNUM ROPES IN THE DIPLOMATS.
TIE "New American Museum" In Broadway was
speped Oh November l3. 1865 aad 1t was Mr. Barnums
intention make it the nucleus OF great free National
institution. Negotiations TO this end were In progress
indorsed By eadiag and approved by Pres
dent Johnson instructed foreign minister's consu
and commercial a,eats to cooperate with Dir Barnum
in securing curosities but before their completion the
fire of March g. 1868. destroyed the "nucleus" and
singcd what would have been a conspicuous feather in
great showman's cap as an advertiser without fear
and without reproach. With the Barnum curiOsitiss
there were here united the Van Amburgh wild beasts.
uxder company capitalized at $l000.000. The fire &C
Cured Of the coolest nights OF winter which bad
been exceptionally savere one The firemen bad
more than usually difficult IN ashtng Ice we'll
flames and that with insufficient supply OF water
which froze wherever it fell Nothing was left OF tho
building except the front wall OF granite and on this the
ice hung in brautful fantastic forms, making pictnrs
that was long remembereL L detective hle In neigh
boring restaurant tue cause OF the he. The loss
here about 100000 and the insurance sloo,ooo
after the rst museum fire, take this notice to
quit and go a-nshinS On Delhg burned OUT
second tins, he concluded 10 take this advise, ara
although he could not keep cut OF the show business
altogether, he had lew years OF cempaiause rsse
before making his next permanent veninrs which was
the Hippsi In F0urteentbst The hippsdroms
feature here added to an exhibition sinar 70 ihe
establishment. which was opened November ~, 1877
and burned December "a. The loss this time was
nd fla ms
EQUAL TO ANY EMERGENCY.
In a speech delivered at a benefit given to his
employees shortly after tine fire Mr. Barnun said; at
has been asked whether will build a large museum
and men agsre IN New York Well, AIN nearly Sky
three years of age. can buy plenty of building sites
aud get plenty Of leased lots for new museum, but
cannot got ne lease OF life" Bat Mr Barnum seems
TO Nave taken to heart what TRIBUNE said after the
frat museum fire. There are fishes in the seas and
beasts in the forests birds still by IN the ar ana strange
creatures still the deserts giants anu lyes
sti wander up and down the earth the Oldest man. the
Barnum will find them. or, even II none OF Ihese
fhsgs creatures existed could trnst Barnum 10
L. be nearly years of age and TO create
more than one greatest shsw on earth ,,
Apparently young as ever, MT Barnum rsce'vsa , ai
TRBUSE rspoi :sr in his at The Murray hl hoiei
yesterday. sad gave hin The foregoing feninscenceo VI
his experience with fire. stopping new ana thsn " atna
to coming with news from brdgepoIrs
already nnder way He took his customary cheerful
Of the situation and expressed much pleasure over
s. ne. b. able 'i 70 hayS He laughed a. he quoted
his wfos remark that he did not concern himself aDont
fires n this world and beng Universais did net an.
bad been greatly dssassd e learn during The day that
Of all his horees he said he had lost only four five